Of Books and Books
by lezonne
Summary: Hermione has an addiction. Ron spends time trying to get her to see it. Written for Ashleigh's Monthly Competitions (November), the Pairing Set Boot Camp prompt #1, and the Favorite Character Boot Camp prompt #9. Complete


**A/n:** And here's a new story! This one's about addiction, but I used a different addiction than the normal every day one.

Written for _Ashleigh's Monthly Competitions _(November), the _Pairing Set Boot Camp _prompt #1 (Hermione/Ron), and the _Favorite Character Boot Camp _prompt #9 (books).

* * *

Year One

The year after the war signified the year that Ron and Hermione got married. It was a joyous wedding, one the entire Weasley clan attended. They overshadowed Hermione's side of the family by a great number.

And the people that did come for Hermione knew what she loved- _books_. While some people gave the newly-weds things they would need in their coming lives, some gave into the sensation of Hermione's passion and bought some books on the side. She was excited.

Ron didn't see anything wrong with that, at least not after the night of their honeymoon.

"Hermione, can't you wait on reading just a moment? It's our wedding night for Merlin's sake."

She smiled at his annoyance, setting her new books aside. Their honeymoon was a present from her parents to France, and she couldn't be more excited. She just wanted to keep looking at her books too.

"Your right Ron," she sighed, rapping her arms around his neck. "I just got distracted for a moment."

"Well get very un-distracted," he cooed, kissing her neck. "I want your attention tonight."

"It's all yours," she replied, smirking. He jumped her then, pushing her against the covers as he kissed her deeply.

* * *

Year Two

Ron got his dream job as a Quidditch player. Hermione took a much more dangerous job as an Auror alongside Harry.

"Hermione, I don't think you have to read every book ever written about and on Aurors," he told her one night while they sat together in their apartment eating dinner.

"You can never know too much about your profession," she argued, reading as she ate. He rolled his eyes.

"Those type of books are the only things you've bought yourself to read since you got accepted into the Auror-training program. What happened to all those books you used to read about Hogwarts and Wizarding History? Wouldn't you rather take a break and read something like that instead of overpowering your brain with all that information? It has to be kind of dull."

"Ronald, it's _not _dull," she said immediately, setting the book down. "Besides, I've read everything I own on the History of Magic. I wanted something new."

"I suppose a joke book is out of the question?"

She gave him a crooked grin. "Cute. There's nothing wrong with reading about the things you're interested in."

"But you don't really need thirty-one books on it either."

"That's a little extreme. I do not have thirty-one books on being an Auror."

Red eyebrows rose up, and he jutted a finger towards the other side of the room. She looked towards her bookshelf and frowned. She didn't recall owning so many books that didn't fit on it.

"That would be your thirty-one identical books pushing some of your favorites onto the floor."

"They aren't identical. Each one holds something a little different-"

"They're identical," he said again, sitting back in his chair. "Are you sure you're alright? I haven't seen you act so strange before. At Hogwarts you never kept such a cluster of books."

"I only brought my absolute favorites from home because I couldn't fit them all, even in some of my deepest bags." She stood and left the book on the table, walking across the room. Ron stood and followed her. The brunette crouched down, picking up her favorite book of them all.

"When you brought home those five new Auror books yesterday you moved some other books onto the floor, saying you would unclutter things later. Somehow you let that one get moved onto the floor."

Hermione frowned and picked up _Hogwarts: A History_. It was old and worn from all the times she'd read it. "Oh."

"Are you still sure that you don't have too many books? It's not like you to set something so sacred on the floor."

"Yes, I guess I'm tired or something. I didn't even realize…." She paused, shaking her head. "I'll fix it in the morning. You're right; there are too many books of the same kind here. I'll clear things out tomorrow and get this book back where it belongs."

"Good." He wrapped his arms around her waist, and she did the same. "Now, since you aren't going to be re-organizing your shelves tonight, think I could steal some of your time?"

She smiled, standing on her toes to kiss him deeply. "I think so."

* * *

Year 3

Rose Weasley was born during that year. She tore apart some pages from her mother's books as she grew, not realizing what she did. Ron was a bit disturbed by the result.

"Hermione… you don't need to keep the shredded books if you've bought new ones. Don't you think you have enough books right now with three shelves? We don't even have a different purpose for that wall now."

"_Ron_, one can never have too many books," she whined, going back to her current read. "Oh honestly, I thought you would understand this by now."

"Yeah…" he looked around at the collection of books littering the floor. "Why don't you put the destroyed books on the floor if you insist on keeping them? Then you could keep Rose from being interested in the ones that aren't torn up. You really shouldn't have to keep a spell on them to keep the books from being destroyed. That's a sign that you have too many Hermione."

She jumped up, pointing a finger his way. "Oh yeah? Well, what do you know?! You have posters that you collect."

"Yes, I do. But we have so many bookshelves in this place that I can only have up to three. Darling, I think you're becoming a bit addicted to books."

"I'm sorry, is that a sin? I could be a freak who's addicted to sex or drugs or something."

"Yes, your addiction could be a lot worse, but all the same Hermione, addictions are bad no matter what you're addicted to. I thought you promised last year that you would get rid of you multiple copies of books."

"I got rid of them!"

"You got rid of two," he corrected with a sigh. "Darling, just try and look at things from my point of view. Your love for books is getting a bit strange."

"It's not strange. I just happen to be passionate about something. Your passionate about the Canons, and you even play for them now. Why do you have to hate on what I'm passionate for?"

"Because you're passionate for learning," he reminded, scooping up their daughter. "Your passion is to learn _new_ things. You're not learning new things anymore if you keep reading the same things over and over."

"Maybe I just like them that much."

"Hermione, some of these books you've _never _read. That one on the top shelf still has the price tag on it because you haven't touched it. I don't want you losing your head over buying books."

"I'm _not_. It's something I like, okay? There's nothing wrong with that. Now butt out. I don't need your negativity while I'm reading."

Ron sighed, turning away from his wife. Hermione had always been stubborn, and now was no exception. If she didn't want to believe something he had to say, then she wouldn't. He left the living room, moving to put his daughter in her room across from theirs. As he paused between the two rooms, he slowly turned and stared into their bedroom.

She'd been out shopping earlier. He could see her new purchases spread across the bed like trophies, each still adoring a price tag. Ron shook his head.

He was worried about her. Not only was she becoming addicted to books, but she was beginning to hoard them.

* * *

Year 4

"It's bad, isn't it Ron?"

"Yes, yes it is."

"I didn't mean for it to go this far."

"I know Hermione. But I think once you had the ability to purchase books instead of simply read books, you kind of went off your rocker. Look at this place!"

"Yeah… it's kind of pathetic isn't it?"

"It's not pathetic darling, but we will need to clean it up if we're expecting next year."

She took a deep breath, nodding slowly. A trash bag hung in one hand, and she clutched Ron's hand in her other.

"Ready?" he asked, swinging their arms. She nodded again, and he pulled her inside rhe room.

They moved to an actual house at the end of last year. Their apartment was too small for three people, and they wanted to have another child. But when they did move, Ron feared for Hermione's addiction. With more room she might just pile in more books.

He gave her an entire room for the books, saying that they should never sit on the floor with such space available. Her old collection only filled a collection of the cozy library. Apparently she needed a much smaller room. It was no time at all before the shelves in there were filled and Ron was lecturing her again about being addicted. He would knock over piles whenever he passed through the library, reminding her that she had way too many duplicate copies of books. She turned a cold shoulder to him in response, ignoring what he had to say. She didn't have a problem.

Then she took the test, and found out she was pregnant. She told Ron, and things changed. Although there was already a room that the newborn would live in, Ron pointed out that all her books would be killed again if they were sitting on the floor.

That, and they were running low on money to have a kid. To back up his argument Ron had Cho Chang and Harry come over one day to tell Hermione just how much money she wasted on those duplicate books. Chang graduated fourth in their class, and he very well knew Hermione would believe in her math capabilities more so than her husbands or best friends.

When she was told that enough money was splurged in there for them to be able to actually buy the things they needed for the baby, she fell into her chair and grew quiet for a long time.

Hermione had never thought about the numbers before. She never realized how much money she wasted and shoved into an overcrowded room- the money they needed to secure the new products and supplies for their upcoming baby. And it was all sitting right under her nose.

She ended up feeling kind of silly for having kept so many things in there that she didn't even use. And today they were going to clear out the library. They were advertising a sale, and a lot of people were eager to come and get her books. She had some extremely collectable ones that she never read, and people very well knew that.

She never realized she had a problem until then. And though it would be hard she was finally ready to start cleaning things up and straightening her life out again.

Hermione had a book addiction, one she needed to break. Not a shopping addiction- she rarely bought anything for herself aside from books. No, it was a book addiction. And Ron was slowly breaking her of it. He couldn't be more proud that she was finally taking the first steps.

He'd been waiting for this moment for a long time.

* * *

Year 5

"See, there wouldn't be room for these things if this place was still overcrowded with books."

"I know Ron," she responded playfully, kissing his cheek. Her swollen belly made it a bit hard to do so, but they managed nonetheless. "Now Rose had a little collection of her own picture books."

"And the baby will have books of his own too," Ron replied, fingering the spines of some of the books they'd bought for their second child- a boy. He was really rooting for the name Hugo.

Hermione took a breath, looking around the library while their toddler continued to stare at the page in front of her. "I think I like this place better like this."

"Really now?"

She nodded. "Yes. Now it's a family library, not just a Hermione library. It's much more homey this way."

Ron grinned kissing her a second time. "You have no idea how wonderful it is to hear you say that."

She smiled, glancing back at her daughter, then the several spaces of empty shelves.

She didn't have an addiction anymore.

* * *

**A/n:** Just a cute story. Thoughts?


End file.
